In most hand guns the hand grip is formed by a pair of shaped side plate grip elements secured on opposite sides of the butt portion of the frame. The grip elements are usually secured by a screw extending between the plates through the open frame, with small pins inset in the frame to align the two grip portions. In prolonged use, particularly with large caliber weapons, the grips tend to work loose due to the repeated recoil action against the hand. The recoil force is backward and upward, while the hand attempts to hold the weapon in place, resulting in a twisting force between the frame and the grip elements. Even a very slight and often unnoticeable shift or looseness of the grips can interfere with precise shooting.